ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · pound · mug · tear · lash · fall · chest · bear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a face
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — the season
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chest — a box
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com